The Heart 200 route takes you up the eastern edge of Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and a boat trip on Loch Katrine will take you even further into the park.

Should you wish to explore a bit more of the national park, you can do so by taking a side-trip off the Heart 200 route from Stirling, Aberfoyle or Lix Toll.

Loch Lomond will be on the list of places to visit for many people, and there are two main ways of reaching the famous loch from the Heart 200 route:

• Take the A811 from Stirling to Balmaha or Balloch to visit the southern end of the loch, or
• The A85 west from Lix Toll and then A82 south from Crianlarich to reach Ardlui at the quieter northern end of the loch.

There are great walking and cycling opportunities in the national park, some close to the Heart 200 route and others deeper into the park, such as Ben Lomond on the east side of the loch and sections of the West Highland Way long distance route, which runs from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Fort William, via Balmaha and Rowardennan on the east side of Loch Lomond.

There’s a whole national park full of attractions and adventures, so there must be something there for everyone’s interests.